Christmas in Pictures!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

15th attempt for a good picture. Funny Girl!

Christmas Eve Dinner with Punkin and Papa!

Christmas Eve walk to see neighborhood lights!

Third time I walked in to tell them to go to sleep...

My flash is bright!

Christmas morning...reading the Christmas Story!

Annalise taking communion (love this tradition)!

A Special Gift to Papa, Punkin, and Peanut! A photobook of "Triple P" memories!

Bike for Christmas!

Learning!

She's a pro!

Christmas at Granny and Gramps! Gramps teaching Allison to Bowl!
Uncle Randy's yearly gag gift...heard he had a bad hunting season!

Randy's attempt to get Jarrett back...it's a hat made out of Clorox bottles!

Jarrett, the Monopoly collector has a new favorite...Electronic Banking!

Cousins!
Our 13th Christmas together!

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!!!

A Great Day for a Parade!

Each year, our family enjoys taking a trip to downtown Orlando to watch the Citrus Parade. Jarrett works downtown and meets up with us to enjoy the festivities. This year we had a big group with us. I think we had a total of 18 (most of them under the age of 9)! We took up quite a stretch of street!

Because we get there about an hour before the parade starts, we have to keep these kids busy. So we brought cards, games, play make-up, and of course...FOOD!

Avery is busy painting Annalise's fingernails before the show begins! Annalise even had some great new blue eyeshadow that Avery applied also!

The start of the parade...see the lineup!

And here are the ones hidden behind the kids!
Citrus Floats!

Allison really enjoyed the scenery! She didn't mind missing her nap!

Sunday and her kids joined us for the morning also! Time to eat!

Cassie and I posing for Annalise behind the camera!

Aren't they cute!

Okay, so...at the Citrus Parade...the two colleges represented in the Capital One Bowl get to also be a part of the parade. This year GEORGIA is playing Michigan State on New Years Day in the Capital One Bowl. We were so excited! We are such big DAWG fans! We will also be attending the Bowl game!!!

Here is Avery whispering things to Annalise about the band in front of them (Michigan State). They were told not to yell "boo" and that they should clap for the band. So, they were silent (with whispers) and then I see them plug their ears so that can't hear the band play (well, I tried)!

G-E-O-R-G-I-A....Goooooo DAWGS!!!!

UGA Cheerleaders!

Allison waving her Red and Black Pom Pom!

Avery got to touch Harry's hand!

We had such a great day! The weather was perfect! The kids had a blast (and were very well behaved)! Now, it's off to see the DAWGS play in a few days!!!!!

Dirty Laundry!

Did the title catch your eye?

So, remember my Prayer Bench?


What about these words..."Unfortunately, the prayer bench sits on Jarrett's side of our bed. What does that matter, you might ask? Well, this bench also once served as a dirty laundry table. And the temptation to continue this bad habit, even with the soft decor, is still strong."


Let me just show you how we roll around here...REAL PEOPLE...LIVING LIFE!

Low and behold...

It's been a long day (or rather, a long week)! I was too tired to clean today! And I can't let the Lord wait on me to clean it up before we spend time together. So, off to another chair I went!

Unpacked, Reflecting, and Planning!

Well, we are home from the holidays! We had a WONDERFUL time in Georgia with family. We have officially unpacked all bags, put new toys in their homes, added dirty laundry to our baskets, taken down the Christmas tree and decor (sniffle), and are back to the routine motions of daily life!

For those family members ready to see the Christmas blog post, it will be coming soon. Today I will be diving in head first with Annalise in a "homeschooling catch up" game. On our 5 hour drive home (kids sleeping in the back), it was nice to use the time to discuss with Jarrett our purpose and goals as a family over the next new year. I sat with the laptop and began to redesign our daily schedule as a family. So, the spreadsheet has been created with much tweaking to come. If I don't allow adjustments, I will go crazy! I am optimistic and hoping for success! It's easy to make a plan, it's another to follow thru!

I hope to post our Christmas memories by tomorrow night!

Blessings,

Jaime

Candlelight Processional

Before heading off to Georgia, we had to opportunity to witness Epcot's Candlelight Processional! We left in the mid-afternoon to first enjoy some "LargaOlson" fun at Epcot! I didn't get any pics of our sweet friends David and Mel that day. But I got a great shot of our kids together. I think they all just might be smiling...and at the same time! We are off to see NEMO!

After some hang time in the park, we had dinner and then we were off to see the Orchestra, Choir, and Monique Coleman! Each night a different actor/actress/singer/etc. reads portions of the Christmas Story and the choir and orchestra complement with beautiful music! That night, Annalise was very excited that "High School Musical" star...Monique Coleman (aka Taylor) was going to be telling the Christmas Story!

Thanks to David, we were able to enjoy the music without the 2 youngest wiggling in our laps and screaming. Since he had seen the processional before, David took Ian and Allison on a walk to see choo choo trains and more! Thanks David! So, Jarrett, Melony, and I took our 3 girls to see the performance. It was BEAUTIFUL! And the girls didn't mention they were getting bored until the last song! Perfect timing!

So, we had a great time at Epcot! Jarrett had not been to Epcot since he was a little youngster. So, after a long day, in the Heat of the Christmas season (notice the short sleeve shirts and tank top below...at 9pm), I thought I would catch one family shot of us in front of the big Epcot Ball!

What a great day!

Wrapped with Love!

This weekend we took part in our first ever "Homemade Christmas Gift Exchange." Since our family was leaving to spend the holidays in Georgia, we chose to go ahead and open gifts with our Orlando family! My nieces did took this homemade idea to their gift wrapping (isn't that some beautiful work above)!

Now, one of our homemade projects that didn't fail (because it didn't include an oven or crock pot) was the gift to Annalise's cousins. Annalise and I picked one picture of each of her cousins and printed them in black and white. Then we took colored pencils and personally enhanced each photo. Annalise then spent time interviewing each cousin with questions of their favorite things. Annalise and I both shared typing duties of entering all the info by computer to create a fun info sheet on each cousin. We glued them onto construction paper and made them each their own personalized book!

And my favorite question answered was by my very own daughter...Annalise, what do you want to be when you grow up? Her answer: To work in an ice cream truck! These will be fun to save and read again when they are older!

Morgan reading her page.

Cassie hit a home run with Jarrett's gift! Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies! She even included homemade dough to make more!

Jessica (a sweet friend of mine), made homemade jewelry! I received a bracelet, necklace, and earrings (I'm starting to feel bad about those empty mason jars and bags at this point)! And Annalise and Allison received homemade Christmas P.J.'s from Aunt Cathy and Uncle Kent (Cassie's parents)!

I think Jarrett really liked those cookies!

Allison also received homemade hair bows! She loves bows to put in her "heer." Thanks Jess!

And drum roll .....x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x....it's time for the Apple Butter Gift.....

Kent read the story aloud, laughed a lot, and then got excited to open his Caramel Nut Cheerios! I wish I couldn't have gotten a better picture of his and Cathy's facial expressions. It was so much fun! Kent said I won the crown for most entertaining gift this year! Too bad there wasn't much to show for it. Too see that entertaining letter, read here!

So our homemade Christmas was a success (even in the midst of failure)! Can't wait to NOT bake next year and have something people might actually use. I think if I pull out long letters next year, they won't believe me! I also think that I'll start earlier this year. Making your own gifts sure take a lot of time and preparation!